Adrift

14

Aoi Ishiki

"She's here," Tatsuya announces as soon as he enters the classroom. I follow right after and see several boys bowing with their knees on the floor. The class seats are flipped upside down on the ground. A fog that smells like a cigarette engulfs the air inside. One of them opens the awning window and waves the smoke out.

"You're my idol!" Another one gush at me with shimmering eyes. I scratch my head and let out a laugh.

"Erm," I mumble. What do you even reply to that? They stand up and offer their hands for a shake. The first one is a guy who's as tall as I am. Instead of a right eyebrow, he's got a thick rectangular scar that makes up for it. His front teeth are chipped but his smile seems true from the look of his narrowing eyes.

"I'm Tatsuya's number 3," he tells me.

"I'm Ao-" I try to reply but he cuts me off and says, "We all know you. Aoi Ishiki from Kamagasaki, Osaka. You're the only daughter of Yuto Ishiki, the impressive right hand who assassinated a rival Oyabun. Your brothers were leaders of Kamagasaki's Regal Wolves. We
couldn't believe it when someone reported that you guys moved here."

I take a huge gulp and a step backward. "How do you know that?" I prepare my feet and position them apart in a slant position in case I have to kick someone.

Tatsuya gives number three a look and shakes his head. He obeys right away and apologizes to me before explaining, "I don't think you'd remember me but I was Eiji's friend and Daichi's errand boy."

All I remember are Eiji and Daichi's friends in their customized loud motorbikes. I've heard of Regal Wolves but never thought my brothers were even hardly involved with them. Of course, I won't let Tatsuya know that.

"I don't remember," I tell him bluntly.

"Tatsuya's been a fan for years. He's even named us Royal Hounds." Number 3 says and pats Tatsuya's shoulder. Tatsuya looks away and avoids my gaze.

Another guy takes my hand and shakes it. "I'm Number 5! Hand combat is my specialty." Number 5 has a long sharp chin and a button nose. He's got a Hello Kitty band-aid on his nose.

"That's so cool! You should teach me how."

Number 5 raises both of his palms and says, "Go ahead." I curl up my fist and launch a punch on his palm. Upon doing so, my fingers hurt when it hit his palm. As if I just hit my fist on a hard chunk of wood.

"What the hell!" I groan. He lets out a little laugh and holds my wrist tight. "Keep your wrist straight." He instructs and continues, "This is to ensure the top of your fist and its front is in the right angle." Then he makes an L with his fingers and presses it towards my formed fist to demonstrate the angle he's talking about. All I do is nod and mutter "Oh."

How come my idiotic brothers never tell me about this? It seems like the basics and I feel like a complete idiot. I look at Tatsuya and the other guys. They're busy touching each other's hair. At least, they're not mocking me right now.

"Ishiki-san, utilize your strong knuckles. Strike with your middle and index finger." I follow his guide and launch a punch on his shoulder. He nods in approval and gives me a thumbs up.

"You just learned the Seiken. I would love to watch your fighting style though. They say that you prefer your elbows and your knees. Are you a fan of Muay Thai?" He asks. I scratch my head and smile.

"I have no idea! I just learned to fight from school brawls." I let out a nervous laugh.

"Okay, Time's Up," Tatsuya announces and points his chin towards the door.